A Flame's Will
by KeepItM
Summary: The ultimate defeat of any creature is losing its willpower to fight. Any great battle can occur in an arena but the greatest battles could only occur on the streets. A fennekin and his sister bears the burden of being abused and a stray, despite the conquered hardships, they were separated. So begins the greatest journey for peace, dreams and a burning will to become a Braixen.
1. Chapter 1

Rated M for violence and certain adult themes. If you're here for lemons, you **will** be disappointed. _I ain't got any._

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Bravest**

Ownership... does one really belong to another? When a couple are married, is love a glue or is love a rope that binds them together. When one steps out of line, why is it always "that's my woman", "that's my man"? It's hard to tell the difference between companionship, ownership and slavery. Human society so prone to greed that even our love is too be questioned. Yet, in human society, the disregard for other life is as simple as throwing out trash.

"Useless stupid fox." My trainer yelled as he threw my sister outside. Her small fragile body bounced and skitted on the patches of grass before sliding to a halt.

"Don't expect to get fed," he added before slamming the door.

"Valeria!" I called, as I ran towards my sister. The moonlight outlined the bruises which covered her small fennekin body. A trail of tears darted down her cheeks as she squealed in agony. Despite it was her who was experiencing the pain; her tears we're able to hurt me more than that bastard human ever could. The indescribable feeling of dread of seeing her injured, its unbearable.

"It hurts!" she cried, trying to stand up. "He did it again."

The cold biting wind was able to make her shiver. Despite our young age, the amount of fur that my sister sheds everyday is concerning. The red fur that grows out of her ear ceases to exist.

"You bloody human!" I growled at the door. I then ran up to it and began scratching at the base of the door like a maniac. Yet, like always, no matter how hard try, he'll never understand a single word that comes out of my mouth. Instead, I'll receive something in my mouth.

"Shut up you brat!" the trainer grunted, opening the door before giving me a good boot to the nose.

And like my sister, my small fennekin body flew across the yard before hitting the grass.

"Ehng!" I groaned, sitting up on my hind legs with my paws covering my nose. Blood crept its way out my nostrils before getting soaked up by the fur on my chest. Yet, the blood didn't dye my yellow fur red, it was already red-brown.

No matter how much he hits me, I'll always find a way to stand back up. I'll burn him into crisps if I could, but I don't think a couple of puny embers is enough bring him down. I hurt him and he'll hurt, Valeria, my sister.

"Are you okay?" she gasped, limping her way towards me.

"I'm fine," I quickly replied, standing up. With a few seconds, I managed to put up a convincing smile. Yet, no matter how convincing my smile is, I'll always find myself lying next to Valeria while she snuggles her tears away in my fur.

"I don't want you getting hurt, Fang." She cried, her weeping sounds were muffled by my fur. "Please stop doing those things. Promise me."

"Yeah. I promise."

Yet, I always manage to break those promises. After all, the ultimate defeat of any creature is losing its willpower to fight. Yet, that human believes willpower is something you can just "force out". Humans, they're willing to do anything to push us to our limits. In fact, they've got a whole economy based upon creatures like us. The technology to capture us, the technology for which they call it "rare candy" used to force out our premature strength. We're just like toys, for entertainment, and if we're broken, we'll get replaced.

A lot of people can't remember what happened when they were younger, but I still can. I can still taste the days when I was running freely in the forest, and perhaps teaching my newly hatched sister how to walk. However, now I'm forced to remember the bruises and marks left on my sister's body. Forced to remember the blistering cold nights that we had to spend outside in the grass.

Despite many attempts to escape, it's futile. Surrounding the large yard stretches an overwhelming metal fence; no possible way through, over or under. Our red ember's weren't able to melt through the iron, whereas trying to dig underneath the fence awaits a wall of solid gravel and cobblestone. Even if I could climb out, my sister is too weak to climb out herself. So every night we're left outside to rot in the cold in an empty yard.

"I'm hungry." Valeria whispered, snuggling her slender and bony body further into my fur.

"I know," I replied, before staring at the empty metal bowls which were by the door. They usually remain empty, days at a time.

"If you want you can," I sighed, before looking at the patch of grass that we're lying on, "try munching on some grass."

With that said, she raised her head and took a mouthful of grass. As she was chewing, she attempted to swallow before gagging on the putrid taste in her mouth.

 _I shouldn't be asking my sister to eat grass, but what other alternative is there?_

In the end, I found myself watching my sister feasting on grass. If I wasn't her brother, and if I wasn't a fennekin, I'd ask her if she'd like to eat me. I'll do anything for her, because she doesn't deserve this. Perhaps I felt sorry for her, perhaps I felt like I failed my duty as a brother, but I felt the rare sensation of warm salty water cleaning my eyes. I hated it.

"Uhg?" Valeria said, looking at me. A small drop of water snuck its way out of my eye and landed on her forehead.

I didn't reply, all I did was silence the sounds of sobbing by biting my own lip.

 _Don't do this, not in front of your sister. I'm braver than this._

"Don't cry," she said, she then finished her mouthful of grass and began to groom me with her tongue. Grooming was something both of us enjoy, yet it seems strange to have a sibling do it for you, perhaps you could even call this an act of friendship and love.

"I'm fine." I muttered, shaking away the tears. "I just can't stand the fact that your—"

 _Living with these monsters._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Strongest**

"Don't be afraid, Fang," my father said, holding me in his arms. "I know it's hard but I know you'll pull through. After all, you're unbreakable."

Despite many years have past, the most memorable was when I was with my parents in the forest. My father was a zoroark, and I can still remember his long red and black ponytail like mane, his fluorescent blue eyes and the constant smug painted across his face.

"Ready to try again?" he asked, putting me down before walking a good distance away from me. "Show me what you can do with those flames."

"Okay." I called, stomping my hind legs. "Here I go!"

I took a deep breath in and begun charging at my dad. Going in head first, small sparks and ambers appeared around me as I sprinted forwards. I pushed, I push myself and I'll push out the flames within. Yet, in the end, instead of pulling off a flame charge I'll just end up head-butting my dad instead.

"Ouff!" My dad grunted as I landed in his arms. We toppled over and landed back first on the grass.

"I'm sorry." I apologised.

"Don't worry about me," he replied, patting me on the head before giggling. "As long as you're fine."

Despite many years have passed, I still can taste those moments of freedom, peace and love. I never felt so separated from my family, separated from my loving father. Sometimes those moments turns into dreams, and reliving those memories always is a pleasure. However, like every pleasurable moment, it's only temporary. Dreams don't last forever, it's just when I'll wake up and be slapped across the face by reality…or my trainer.

* * *

Every morning I would usually awake to the sound of my trainer shouting. His demanding attitude can only express one word, "train". However, I didn't awake to the sound his voice. I awoke to the sound of sluggish footsteps hitting the ruff gravel road.

"You don't have to help me," a voice grunted. "I'm starting to doubt your idea of taking a shortcut down these slums."

I opened my eyes to see who it was. Walking alongside the metal fence in this tight alleyway and under the rising daylight was an middle aged man and his dewott. The tall middle aged man was wearing a brown trench coat along with blue jeans; he and the dewott both wore a plain black beret. The dewott kept an close eye on the man as he limped his way forward with his walking stick. I couldn't see the man's face due to the collars of his coat, however, he doesn't look like he belongs in these slums.

In a desperate attempt to get help, I jumped up and ran over to the fence. With two paws latched onto the fence while shaking it back and fourth, I began barking at them.

"Please help us!" I barked, waking my sister up in the process. "My sister and I haven't eaten in days! The human keeps us in here like slaves! Please, you have to help us get out of here!"

"Uh?" the man said, looking at us. We continued to furiously bark and squeal, however, he quickly lost interest.

 _Damit! Why can't you humans understand us for once!_

"Please!" my sister pleaded, joining me by the fence. "You need to help us get out!"

With the help of my sister, we managed to get the dewott's attention. He paused for a few seconds while the man continued to walk forward by himself. He stared at us with the dark abyss in his eyes; we stared back with our large molten red eyes. It didn't take long to melt through the dewott's emotions.

 _Thank arceus we still have our adorable looks._

"So." The dewott sighed, as he knelt down in front of us. "How long have you guys been stuck here—"

"We don't have time for this," the man interrupted, still walking. "We'll be late."

 _No, this can't happen._

"Crap." the dewott sighed again, scratching his black ears. "I'm...sorry."

 _No._

Without another word, he stood up and walked away from the fence.

"No!" I yelled, slamming by body up against the fence. "You need to help us! You don't understand! You can't leave us here!"

Yet, he didn't help us, he didn't understand and he left us here. Not once did he turn around to glaze at us as he disappeared down the alleyway. All that lingers after is the sheer desperation of trying to find hope, yet hopelessness is all that I'll find. In the end, desperation always turns into anger. The anger and hate forwards the humans, the way they capture us, the way they treat us and the merciless tone in their voices when they force us to fight. However, they can't hurt me, I'll always stand back up but no matter how much I'm willing to fight back, they'll find a way to hurt Valeria. The suffering that I'm not willing to let her take. I'll do anything…for her.

 _I'll get us out of here, one day._

* * *

"You win and you'll get feed," my trainer said, as he tugged the chain that was wrapped around my neck. "You lose, you know what will what happen."

Every so often my trainer would chain me up and drag me down the dark alleyways and narrow paths. Despite putting up decent resistance, he's still able to drag me along with ease. However, he wasn't taking me for a walk, he was taking me to one of those "cockfighting arenas". I'm so familiar with the pathways that lead to this arena that I could remember it off by heart; but it's not something I want to remember.

Through many sets of pathways and backstreet doorways; the sounds of cheering, anger and sadistic laughter grew. As we got closer and closer to the source of the noise, a large crowd appeared in the shadows. They stood in a circle with their backs turned to us as they cheered and howled at whatever is happening at the centre of the circle. Many of the humans had their Pokemon freely and willingly standing next to them, while others were chained. Some where in no better conditions than I am; battle scarred, skinny and afraid. While some Pokemon stood proud with the tattoos that their trainers had "given" them.

"No mercy!" The crowd shouted with money in their hands. They all gasped when a bolt of electricity stroked whatever poor creature in the arena. Then there was silence; no squeals and certainly no sounds of shouting. The round had ended early.

 _The ultimate defeat of any creature is losing it's willpower to fight, so don't lose it. Don't be afraid, keep calm, you've done this many times before._

"Don't try to run away," my trainer said as he took off the chains. He then picked me up by the nape and begun shoving his way through the crowd.

 _Heh, if it wasnt for the fact that your holding my sister as hostage, I'd be long gone._

"Hey!" My trainer yelled at some shady looking guy whom was holding a clipboard. "What's the biggest pot tonight?"

"Fiftteen thousand Poke-Dollars!" He yelled back. "That is if you can beat the pot holder's scyther. You win, you get the money."

"Bring him out! I wanna challenge him."

 _You're joking._

"You serious?" the man said, before staring at me. "You're gonna try to win, with that Fennekin?"

 _Me against the scyther! The fucker is going to shred me!_

"Yeah, I'm serious," he replied before pulling out a handful of hundred dollar notes out of his wallet. "Here's the entry fee."

I've been forced to fight like this many times before, yet, tonight felt like my first. The overpowering peer pressure, the anxious feeling of losing and wounds that'll remain on my body. In the end, I found myself with my eyes closed while swinging back and forth by the nape, squealing for mercy. My trainer ignored me and pinched me hard, expecting me to shut up.

"If you'd ask me." The man with clipboard sighed, he then snatched the money out of my trainers hands. "You're wasting your time and money."

"Chuck him into the arena," he added while stuffing the money into his pockets. "Let's get this match started."

With that said and with no hesitation, my trainer threw me into the circle. I landed on the cold hard dirt with a loud thump, however, the sound was quickly silenced by the crowd. Some laughed at me, while others jeered.

In the end I found myself shivering in the centre of the circle as I awaited by opponent. Just like the first time, my golden ears crested downwards and my eyes darted everywhere in hopes of finding a way out. An occasional anxious stutter is able to paralyse me. For once, I felt small and fragile. Yet my sheer desperation to help my sister was all it took to convince me to not have a total mental collapse. The humans, they tower over me like mountains.

 _I'm just a fox...I'm just a fennekin. Why do you humans have to do this to me!_

"Okay, Fang," I gulped, walking in circles to prevent myself from stuttering. "You got this, you got this."

"Just remember your father's words," I added. Right at that moment, a Poke ball flew out from the crowd before letting out a bright light which lit up the entire alley way.

 _Thump!_

Standing proud and strong in front me was a four feet tall scyther. All healthy, and all green. His blade like arms looked sharp enough to cut through steel like butter, while his intimidating stare was enough to win him half the battle.

"You're-you're unbreakable, Fang. Do it for your sister." I whispered to myself, trying to get a hold. "The-the ultimate defeat is-is when you've lost your will to f-fight."


	3. Chapter 3

**It's been a while since I've last uploaded. I haven't been keen on writing lately, however I'll aim to publish a chapter or something every once in a while.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Close Minded**

"Knock him out with the wing attack!" A voice called, followed by scyther's grunt. The scyther then hissed and at me letting out a arrogant screech. The definition of an imminent force that could rip anything apart.

With a blink of an eye, he's delicate wings expanded into a mighty "kite".

"Careful!" My trainer yelled. "Dodge to the left!"

But it wasn't like I was going to take his words anyways.

I swiftly rolled to the right, before a powerful wave brushed past me. Without listening to my trainers ambiguous orders, I rolled again, under the scyther. His eyes darted frantically as he tried to keep up with my movements. I then leapt onto the scyther's back. Latching my paws onto his delicate wings, I began biting away. Some of my fangs were able to piece his thick green exoskeleton while others shredded parts of his wings. With every bite the scyther groaned in agony followed my a screech. A weird "chemical" like taste flooded my mouth. The scyher then tried to reach his blade like arms to his back in an attempt to swat me off; he lacks the elbows to reach me.

"Get him off!" A voice called. "Get on your back!"

With a violent slam, the scyther lodged his whole body onto the floor. A groaned escaped my lips as I was crushed against the ground. Feint clicking sounds could be heard from my chest as my ribs pushed against each other. Air escaped by stomach and lungs with a violent flush. Soon, I could hear nothing but the sounds of my heart pounding under the weight.

By now, my trainer's voice ceased to exist.

"Finish him with a slash!" The voice called again, and at that moment the crowd began to cheer. It was able to silence the endless drumming of my heart.

The sudden slam to the ground was then followed by a sudden relief. The scyther stood back up, air soon returned to my chest, and the crowd began chanting.

"Slice him!" They all chanted in unison.

Taking a deep breath in through my nose, I opened my eyes in preparation for another attack, but I was a step behind. I was lying on the ground, and towering over me is the scyther with one of his razor sharp blades raised high. The sharp blade glimmered in light as he held it there. His huffs and puffs were strong enough to make some of my fur move. As if a wing attack hit me, I felt a sudden jolt which made my ears crest down. The look in his eyes reflected nothing but anger, yet I tried to look for mercy. However, all that I found in the end was fear. Without warning, the scyther slashed his arm down. I felt the sharp blade piece my skin and puncture deeper and deeper. All I could do was endure the endless agonizing pain. Yet my screams were lost in the sadistic cheers of the crowd.

Everything seemed to slow down as my vision became frantic. When the scyther pulled out his blade I was left on the dirt ground; which my blood soon turned into mud. I twitched, kicked and whimpered as I remained on the ground of permanent defeat.

"Help me..." I whispered; but no one helped me. All too busy collecting their prize money.

"Dad. Mum." I gagged, coughing out whatever liquids that were in my body. "Save me."

However, no body came. Instead, the shady guy with the clip board picked me up by the tail and threw me out the ring, hitting the cold hard dirt once again.

My mind was no longer focusing on the pain, instead, it focused on the sudden dread the came over me like a cloud.

 _Sister. I don't want to leave you._

Yet, under the dying light, fading vision and blood soaked fur, I wished I could see my dad; but all I saw was my "trainer" tampering with the prize winners pockets pulling out paper notes without their notice.

No one noticed my trainer, nor did anyone noticed me. Within a slum, I remained on the dirt. When the people cleared away to go home, I was left alone with the sounds of my blood dripping down into a near by drain.

 _I'm not scared. I'm brave. I can't die, they can't kill me._

But I guess I wasn't the one who determined my fate. Like the ancient Greeks believed, the god Lachesis determines ones fate. _Will I see her when I fade away?_

Under the dying light, within a slum and under the stars. I took the breathes of life that I'll defiantly miss and held onto whatever comforting thoughts I had left. One thought that remained the strongest was my hope of seeing my sister again, in a better place.

* * *

"Grab my hand." A voice called, I then felt a soft pair of hands. They gently cupped around my waist before guiding me forward.

"Sister?" I mumbled, opening my eyes I was comforted by the pair of hands; with soft white gloves. They made me fret.

 _A human's hand._

"Don't be scared," the voice said, before raising a hand to pat me on the forehead

I battled against the blinding light as I opened my eyes, and I found myself staring off into the distance. We were in grass plains, the elegant breeze made the grass dance while some oak trees shed their golden leaves away with the wind. However, another than plant life, there was no such other creature. I was being carried down a small footpath and at the end of the foot path sharks bright shimmers of light.

"Who are you?" I said, looking up at the person who was carrying me. The person was wearing a pinned up slouch hat with a beak like mask. She was wearing a some "formal looking" black suit, with a tie and a pair of black leather shoes. Her clothes almost covered every single spec of visible skin on her body.

"Am I dead?" I asked, looking up.

She looked down at me before a letting out a giggle.

"Of course not!" She said, before pointing her finger at the bright spec of light at the end of the pathway. "You've still got a long way to go."

"Where am I? What's happening? How do understand me, you're a human?"

"Don't fret. You're safe," she replied, patting me once more. "I'm helping you walk down your path."

"Where's my sister?"

"She's walking a down this path with you. Like I am doing now."

I looked around, left to right. There was not a single sign of her.

"She's not here."

"Yes, she isn't," the girl said. "She comes and goes. Sometimes you'll be walking alone in the dark, other times you'll be carried, and maybe you'll might meet someone on this path who'll hold your hand till you reach the end."

"What happens at the end?"

The girl grunted then sighed.

"Nothing...much," she said. "However, I can promise you that you wished you could walk down this path again."

"When will we reach the end?"

"There's still a long way. You should get some sleep, I'll wake you up when we get there."

* * *

"Fucking Arcus!" Another voice called. I once again awoke to the feeling of being carried, except this time was by a pair of paws, and I wasn't in a grass plane, I was in the lying in cold hard dirt in a familiar alleyway.

"Hey-hey-hey," the voice said, the paws gently tapping my forehead. "You there lad? Open your eyes."

Without much thought, I obeyed what the voice told me to do and gradually raised an eyebrow. I was greeted with familiar sight of blue fur and black paws.

"Look into my eyes," the dewott said, agitating my nose with powerful flicks.

I looked up and observed, the was only a constant blur, and mostly darkness. Perhaps the light doesn't want me just yet.

"Stay awake, we're nearly there," he added.

Soon, sounds of footsteps echoing through alleyways faded into the sounds of horns, loud conversations and gasps. However, a sound that stands out the most was the sound of..."liveliness".

"Nurse, nurse!" The dewott yelled, followed by the sound of electric doors opening and a bright flash of light.

At first, it sounded like nurse joy seemed confused at the dewott's sudden appearance, after all he couldn't speak "human language", but I guess my body was depicted in such a bad condition that the message was conveyed without any words involved.

"I need assistance!" The nurse called, before gently picking me up in her arms. She ran me down an empty hall way before placing me on a weird looking table.

"Quickly! Get the other doctors as well!" She said, and not long afterwards a small group of people rushed into the room with weird dresses, green caps and cloth masks. However, everything was still a grey blur, they all looked the same.

 _What's happening? Where am I?_

I wanted to fret and squeal, yet I was too exhausted and scared to do anything.

 _What these humans going to do to me?!_

…

 _I want my mum! I want my dad! I want to go back to the forest!_

"Shhh," one of the doctors said, gripping tightly onto my leg to stop my frantic kicking. He then placed a mask on my face before adding his final few words "just breath, just breath".


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The worst hero

"You need anything else?" A chansey asked.

The only thing that came out my mouth was an arrogant groan before being silenced by the continuous humming of the air circulation system in the building. Without further questioning, the chansey left the room without any empathy. The desert dry door hinges left a sour screech.

"Give me a break," I whispered, as my chest began aching again.

The endless agonising pain constantly haunts me. It pops in and out whenever it desires, and it never seems to want to go away. I can't really figure out if I'm thankful or was I damned upon. Instead of waking up everyday to the sounds of shouting and perhaps abuse, I now awoke to the aching pain caused by the two tubes coming out my chest.

Although I now received the intense care that I so desired, I miss my sister and I mostly spend my time stuck in a tiny bed in a plain fluorescent room. Most of the meals that the nurses bring me consists of painkillers and antibiotics. I was told by the chansey that there was some problems with one of my lungs. The tubes along with a cart like device are there to suck out any internal "misplaced" blood and to prevent the organ from collapsing.

"Come on!" I barked, staring at my chest. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop hurting!"

Yet, speaking only made it retaliate. I soon found myself playing along with the game of pain.

"You happy now?" I grunted. "If it weren't for you I would've been with Valeria right now."

At the mercy of my body and the nurses with their "generous" doses of medicine. I once again calmed my mental and physical struggles.

"Glad to see you stopped yelling at yourself." A voice said, followed by an unpleasant screech of the door.

I didn't bother to look up; just by staring at the of pair flipper like feet and a walking cane was already enough to help me draw conclusions.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't find your sister," the dewott said, putting on the world's most fake smile. He took off his beret to "foreshadow" his "sincere condolences", while the middle aged man with the walking stick waited quietly in the corner of the room. The mans patience was as unpredictable as a ticking time bomb.

"You couldn't find her because you didn't try," I shouted, making eye contact. "You were able to find me twice in one day yet you failed to navigate to the same spot you found me in."

The dewott's "smile" disappeared before contracting his apologies by putting on the beret again.

"Look lad," he said, kneeling down, "I understand all these emotions right now."

"However, as a dumb ass dewott who doesn't know any better," he said, putting on a smile again, expect this time was real, "Once you've recovered, you can lead us through the slums to find her, and perhaps beat the crap out of your trainer."

I wanted to doubt the things that the dewott said, as he could be lying in an attempt to shut me up about asking him to find Valeria. However, I was still convinced.

"You never know, in fact I might just bump into the same place again in those slums," he added with a cheerful tone, before giggling. "Now tell me with a luck like mine, we're bound to find her. Am I right lad?"

He managed to make me giggle, at least he understands the whole irony part about finding me, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"That's the spirit!" He chirped before standing back up. "So, tell me now your—"

"You done yet?" The middle aged man grunted. He had his arms folded around his body as if he was about to throw a fit. "Have you finished telling your lie about trying to find his sister."

 _I knew it. He was only trying to shut me up._

Then again, perhaps I deserved to know the truth before my naivety gets the better of me.

The dewott's face dropped. He sighed before the expressions of agitation appeared on his face, he then turned around before muttering, "you can't understand Pokémon language but that doesn't mean you should invite yourself into our conversation."

The middle aged man paused for a second, trying to interpret the "Pokemon gibberish".

"What's with the anger?" The man mocked, still leaning against the wall. "What are you, on your heat cycle again?"

"Oh my gosh you're a living idiot!" The dewott cursed, while rubbing his forehead in frustration. "It's currently Autumn right now, not spring!"

"Stop yelling at me!" The man replied, his wrinkles were more noticeable whenever his lips moved. "All I did was ask you a question to see whether you're done?"

"You're not the victim here. The fennekin gonna start interrogating me about why I lied to him."

"Speaking of which," I interrupted, "why didn't you go looking for my sister."

"I know you're too young and perhaps lack the metal ability to understand this right now," the dewott said, he faintly giggled at his own joke, "but lying is very good way to convince youth like you in a goal or a hope that's unlikely to be achieved."

Just like that, within a couple a minutes, the dewott had given me hope but stripped it away mercilessly.

"No!" I barked, both the man and the dewott fretted before bringing their attention to me. "You're going to find my sister! I don't care whether it'll take you an eternity to search the slums. You're going to find her!"

I managed to silence both the man and the dewott. The man stood silently, having not understood a single word in our argument. He seemed more confused then ever. While the dewott crossed his arms anticipating for something.

"Your lungs beginning to hurt yet?" The dewott said.

With the sudden reminder, the pain once again began its endless rebellion.

* * *

"I hate you," I whispered to the dewott. By now it was late afternoon, yet I wasn't able to witness the golden crisps of light; there were no windows. The man had left because he got frustrated with the dewott and I for "antagonising" him. He cursed a few times before leaving the room with a solid door slam. _Typical._

"Not an issue lad," the dewott replied. He sat comfortably next to me, often lost in his thoughts.

"Why do you bother helping me but not my sister?" I grunted, avoiding eye contact.

"A better question would be why am I bothering to help you at all," he replied. "I've could've just left you to die."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because what kind of a creature would do that. I do admit that I'm not a superman but you've got to stop seeing me as if I were the devil."

"You're a devil! You-you lied to me and you trapped me in this hospital."

"Look lad," he sighed, folding his arms again, "think about this. Would you rather be happy for the rest of your life but everything you know remains as a lie or would you bear the burden of emotions in contrast of knowing the truth?"

"I want the truth, and I want to be happy!"

"Calm down," the dewott said, "your lungs are gonna starting hurting again if you keep up this yelling."

"I don't care about the pain, I want to be happy, I want to see my sister, I want to leave this place! I want reasons why you didn't bother trying to find her!" I yelled. Although my chest soon began hurting again. It was worth conveying the message across clearly.

"If you want the truth. I can guarantee that you will leave the hospital, I can also guarantee that you'll find your sister; I can tell from your attitude that your dead serious. However, I have no idea when either of your goals will succeed. It could take you days, weeks or years," the dewott ranted. "As for the reason why I'm looking after you, is that the nurses think that your one of the old man's Pokemon, so they don't put you up for adoption."

The room once again returned to silence, the dewott had told me everything I wanted to hear. I was convinced but if today has taught me anything is that getting hospitalised is equivalent to being caged, and that sly dewott can not trusted.

* * *

 **Author's notes: In this chapter, I sort of experimented a little by hiding certain themes and jokes. In order to understand its complete nature, you must pay attention to dewott's dialogue. However, for the sake of it, I'll explain this entire chapter in a greater point of view. The whole chapter is a joke/or perhaps a "play off to traditional story telling schemes". Many story's have a centralised theme on authenticity, where meaning such as family, hope, love and doing something for the greater and good is a primary motivation. However, this can lead to characters deify what what crushes them and find hope to what exhausts them. However, instead of making jokes about the meaninglessness of everything that ever existed, the jokes are based around the attempts to lure characters or the audience into finding meaning. So as a play off, I made it absurd and provide a sense of hope before ripping it into shreds, twice. This is evident as the dewott seems to bear no self guilt or consequences to his absurd dialogue. If saving a life is just as absurd as doing nothing, once again seen in the dewott's actions, he may as well not bother trying to save another. Although it makes no sense that the dewott doesn't care about saving a life yet he still does it anyway, it adds further absurdity by believing in no consequences despite having contradictory actions.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Blinded**

"Daddy," I whimpered, with my little paws sat upon a sturdy back, "please stop."

He pleaded ignorance to me but he gave his full attention towards the howling wind and the missing moon. His stature was slanted with defeat while his arms kept himself comfortable. Beads of endurance usually rippled down his neck and off his fur but tonight beads of sorrow slipped off his cheeks and vanished into the darkness. However, it was mere destruction and not a defeat. He hid all his thoughts and emotions under his arms and on his knees.

"It's fine," he sniffed, "you don't need to worry about me."

My ears crested like my dad's back, its rare to see him like this, as rare as a blue moon. The sounds of pain polished the nearby grass and leaves till the point where they began to bear the burden of my dad.

I hopped onto my dad's knees and buried myself under his vision where his tears splashed onto my head. For my sake, he broke his own arm lock and wiped away the tears.

"Dad, why-why does mum hate us?" I asked, jumping into his arms.

"No," he replied, his words were as broken as ice, "your mother doesn't hate you, she hates me."

"You're going to have a sibling soon," he sniffed.

"Really?!" I gasped, my ears shot up in an instant, "That's a good thing! Shouldn't that be a good thing?"

My dad smiled, it soon disappeared into a smirk. It left a sour taste in his mouth, or perhaps his mind.

"I know your too young to understand this but," he paused for second and distracted himself by perching his eyes where the stars are, "your mother is bringing you a sibling and bringing herself another child. But she didn't bring anything for me."

Gently, he picked me up and held me tightly in his warm chest before resuming his weeps and groans.

"I guess your mother doesn't really like me," he sobbed, "you have to realise sooner or later that the world isn't perfect. These are the parts of this world that aren't shown to children like you often, the parts that you don't get to see..."

* * *

Although the horrors of fighting and pain have long disappeared. The lingering pain of the new stitches remained as a valiant reminder of what was once subject to me. However despite being stray and having no owners I was still obligated to stay at the hospital until I fully recover. The nurses were now well aware that I lack a true trainer, but they all kept their mouths shut I had already exhausted all their efforts in helping me recover.

The dewott used to come every day however, now his visits had become a rare commodity. I cannot say that I longed for his company but nor could I say I dislike him, he just simply existed. He would offer nothing more compared to a nurse giving medication yet he will offer nothing less like a wealthy individual tipping at a Kalos café. As for me the minutes began feeling like hours as all there is to do is to lye or perhaps walk around the garden outside.

The garden could be described as something that would belong in the Bible; holy. The bushes, the roses and the luscious flowers were carefully maintained by the plentiful gardeners. They stagger around, patch to patch like pidgeots, and occasionally bob up and down to weed out a foreigner. Despite its high quality most of the time the place is dominated by bizarre creatures. Most of the creatures were soon-to-be parents for which their anxious wealthy trainers have sent them here in hopes that they'll have a smooth birthing/hatching processes. They carry their plump bodies, lumping around and occasionally commenting "aww, what a cute fennekin". As for the rest of the inhabitants of the garden was the war torn and scared. They are like ghosts; all broken along with pale faces from whatever traumatic experience they were recovering from. They remain incomplete and unsatisfied and still have a burning passion for glory…and that's were I belonged.

"Unhand me you pathetic piece of plastic!" An umbreon barked, frantically kicking the heliolisk cone wrapped around her neck. "The bastard nurse did this to me," she turned around before waving her paw at me, "Oi'ennkin, kid. Mind helping d'this poor lady out."

At first glance, you wouldn't be able to tell she's a girl. In fact the first thing anyone would notice is that she's a shiny; blue lines of fur instead of fluorescent yellow. She usually escapes her room and "hides" under trees because she believes that "the trees are talking". For the past few days she has been hooked onto me, making weird conversations about batteries or something. They put the cone around her because she can't stop biting herself due to the imaginary "bugs which are crawling around under her skin".

"No," I replied. My escort nurse was busy monitoring other Pokemon in the garden. "You'll just bite yourself—"

"Please. Please," she gasped, rolling around in the grass, "the bugs! They're everywhere, they're killing me."

The nurse, who heard the commotion, came frantically looking for the umbreon while shouting, "Senja! Come out Senja."

"It's the nurse!" The umbreon gasped, "don't tell her I'm here. She'll take me-she'll take me away fr-from-and-and lock me up. Come hide with me."

"I don't think that's necessary Senja—" she quickly swotted my front paws to knock me down to the ground before dragging me behind a tree.

"What was that for?!"

"Where in a battlefield," she whispered, crawling in circles around the tree, "our batteries are charged and our guns are loaded."

"What are you talking about."

"Our freedom is worth fighting for!" She then charged out of her hiding spot before sprinting in laps around the gardens footpath. Her glory ended before it even started; on the second lap the nurse snatched her up like a hawk.

"You cannot take me!" Senja barked, her limbs spazzing. The nurse pinned Senja down by the neck with her body. She reached into a pouch where she pulled out a needle and swiftly gabbed it into her leg.

"You fools can't win! You can not defeat mehhh," Senja was carried away by the angle with broken wings, her drowsy words faded away through the hospital door and I resumed my pointless quest in roaming the abstract grasslands.

* * *

I waited for whatever came next; a schedule that dictated my days. A meal perhaps? Or another needle of antibiotics? I would resist every time when they point the sharp shiny object at me but by now it had almost become a distant disliked relative. You just have to put up with it until it leaves. However, it would be a blessing if my sister showed up at my door but I'm more likely to receive the dewott with a desert dry mouth of words.

I waited and listened carefully to the gentle hums of the air conditioning or the footsteps echoing outside. Then, the door opened.

"Piss off," I muttered, turtling under the blankets, "I don't want to see you today." The dewott was like a tax man, always bringing unpleasant surprises.

"Hey little fella," a nurse said. I looked up; there was no dewott. Instead there was a sloppy umbreon planked in the nurse's arms. "You've got a visitor!" The nurse added, placing Senja down. She looked as weak as a twig. The only reassuring signs of hospitality was the rise and fall of her chest.

"You two have fun," the nurse said in a generous tone before escaping.

 _Oh boy, I can't wait to have fun with a dead umbreon._

When the door closed, the endless sound of the air conditioner returned. The "vegetable" with a cone laid unpleasantly on the cold hard floor. She also had plenty of bite marks riddled across her limbs. Some of her fur had been torn away leaving the stitches exposed.

"Hello?"

I waited.

"Senja, you still alive?"

"Of course I am," she muttered, "what are you, an idiot?"

"I didn't ask you to come here, nor did I ask you to insult me,"

"I didn't choose to come here either!" She snapped, the cone around her neck amplified her voice, "I'm enslaved here! I'm a monster, they called me a pocket monster, a pokemon."

"The humans just call us that regardless of-"

"I'm not a monster, I'm someone else, I'm not one of them!" Senja began frantically glancing around the room. Her eyes darted all over the place while her body remained silent.

"I ain't them!" She barked, she then ducked herself under her paws. My eyes widened and ears slanted as the sound of raindrops and harsh groans filled the room.

"This isn't who I am," she wept, curling herself into a ball.

Although Senja didn't resemble my sister nor did I understand anything she is trying to convey but the gentle weeps along with the crested ears bridged the two worlds.

"Of course you're not one of us," I said, laying next to her. "You're a shiny, something special-"

"Cut it with cliché bullshit Shakespeare," Senja gasped, she jumped at the idea that I was comfortable enough to lay next to her, "someday you're gonna realise that you're just a spec of dust in a bone dry desert."

"And the whole hospital thing," she added, "it's a lie! They're hiding an entire world away from us! They'll keep you, I, us in here forever!"

"No, I'm pretty sure the doctors will discharge me once I've recovered-"

"Fennekin! I've been here forever! You'll rot with me in this prison with a cone over your head," she paused before giving me a smirk, "you'll never leave, that's why you're still here. We'll escape somehow."

The door barged open, fearing the nurses, Senja ducked behind me.

"Sorry to interupt your escape plan but you're now discharged from the hospital," the dewott said. His abrupt appearance along with the old man gave me a shock while Senja remain "traumatised" by the nurses. Soon a nurse clawed Senja up.

"They'll remove the stitches and we will send you back on the road again, ironically," the dewott smiled. Another nurse dashed past him before pressing me firmly on the ground.

"You can't do this to me!" Senja gasped, her frantic motion was able to silence my pain of getting the stitches removed, "you can't leave me. No! Please take me with you!"

As the wires came loose, I was no longer bounded, while Senja's screams of retaliation became louder and louder. Even when the nurse dragged her out and down the hallway, her voice still reached for help.

"Well aren't you special," the dewott said before giving me a polite paw gesture towards the door.

We cruised around the floors until we were presented with a golden opportunity in a hall of solace. The angle sitting at the reception desk rubbed her eyes as she prepares to end her shift. Behind the sliding glass door laid the crisp sunlight and busy men in cars.

"Enjoy Kalos, you're on your own now, the old man ain't planning on owning you. He already has enough trouble with me," the dewott said, patting my tail, "don't end up in the slums again. Good luck finding your sister."

With that said, I guided myself out the sliding doors and into the solace of the free world. While Senja…will remain as one of the things that you don't get to see amongst this world.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Behind every fur coat**

"I need food, I need warmth, I just need some place to rest,"

I didn't complain about the cold while I was in hospital, the cool synthetic air never bothered me but somehow natures own breezes made me want to tortoise away. The small alley ways provided decent cover, they also provide a source of food as well. Occasionally you'll be fighting over food scraps with a rattata, other times you end up eating the rattata. It was enough to keep me alive but it wasn't enough to keep me plump. However, I wasn't just only trying to survive hunger and the cold, I was also trying to survive being hunted. Not the humans no, they are more likely to go off and catch some wild Pokemon than me. An enemy that I made in the hospital was hunting me.

The gentle creeks and humming of cars disguised the constant "grrr" sounds that lingered in the alleyway. Usually, the only worries that may arise is being "jumped at" when browsing through trash bags or accidentally eating moss.

"Who's there?"

The leaking pipes politely responded with a "drip"; the moss absorbed the liquid. They were as desperate as I am. However, the growling creature in the darkness didn't seemed too intrigued by the trash bags and moss. It had its complete attention on me.

If this was an anime or some shitty fan fiction then the mysterious character hiding in the shadows would continue to linger, showing only glimpses of their body to build suspense. Unfortunately I wasn't given the privilege, there was none of that "what am I going to do" or "should I just run." From the second the growling stopped the blue-silhouetted canine jumped out from the dark.

"You traitor!" Senja barked, with one powerful tackle she knocked me down; hard. Without any remorse, she bit my nape and carried me.

"Ughn!" I groaned as she tossed me against a brick wall. A small "yip" left my mouth as I fell back onto the ground.

"Why'd ya leave me," she barked, walking in circles. Her breath was so strong with hatred that it may as well be air-conditioned, "I thought we were friends! You just left me there to rot!"

If this were an anime I would give the most courageously blunt answer. However, this was real life, so I gave my "real" opinion.

"Fuck you!"

I was then tossed against the wall again, I learnt my lesson.

"You're not healthy," I coughed, dragging myself off the ground. I leaned my front paws forward to prone against the ground; ready to counter any punishments she dishes out.

"Not healthy?!" She gasped, "take a look at yourself! You look like a twig."

Although there were no witnesses; I could not disagree. If she looked hard enough, she will be able to see my rib cage along with all the intricate laid out highways of vessels. My fur coat has dwindled down to a shirt.

"And you look like a maniac! A monster!"

I wasn't punished, but I still remained low and aggressive. My teeth unsheathed themselves while my ears flattened. However, it was unnecessary; _I ain't strong enough to fight. I'm too exhausted to even commit to any fire attacks._ In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say, "you wouldn't survive any longer than a week." Despite our appearances, she said nothing, silence when you least expected it.

As if I flipped a switch, something made her pause. _"_ _Tick"_ , Senja's face began to move, displaying a range of emotions, like fireworks. Eventually, the anger disappeared and resided to…sorrow. Perhaps _depressive_ is the right word, but it looked sadder than a flat eggplant.

"You and I, I thought we were friends," she whispered.

 _"Pfft." Friends, we hardly even know each other._

"No kind of friend behaviours the way you do!"

Senja sat down; she collapsed to the floor with a sigh of defeat. She kept her head tucked away in her paws, but she didn't shed any tears, she just wanted some "alone time."

"I escaped that hell hole for a sly fox," she whispered, "I did it for a bastard."

I still kept my "pouncing stance" ready, I case she changes her mind about her hospitality.

"Piss off," Senja added, showing me a glimpse of her blood red eyes (despite all umbreons having the same eye colour), to deter any thoughts of aggression. It worked.

"Piss off before I rip you into shreds," she warned again.

I am not going to wait, she probably was not bluffing. I raised my stance, let my guard go wild inside my head and carefully strayed pasted her towards the alleyway exit.

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't be," I added, my voice echoed down the alley. Before the sound could bounce back; I had dashed away.

* * *

I was left with a scar, not the one lingering on my chest but the one lingering in my mind. _And no, it was not Valeria._ It was hunger

Sure. They is plenty of glamour in Lumiose City, Kalos. The lights turn night into day, not to mention the Prisum tower; a symbol of wealth and prosperity. They say it suppose to represent the unity of Pokemon and people working towards a common goal, but I could only see so much of it. The streets are filled with bizarre characters, each with their own story. They smell of riches and they polish the stores and themselves with jewels fit for a king. The main streets and roads are maintained at a constant. Everywhere was clean, including the cobblestone sidewalk, free of any litter. However, it made me feel like the stain, the scum that doesn't belong here. The people, they fail to realise is the things they don't get to see often; the violence that occurs for monetary gains and the brothels that such bizarre people seek. They forget the tragedies to anticipate wealth.

I found myself again; feeding on whatever I could find. _My father must be 'real' proud of me._ I taint the dirt-filled paths with my paw prints while the dirt taints my fur. Sometimes ill eat left overs while other times it'll be snapping a pidgeot's neck; a treasure that is. _Oh what's the point repeating what I'm eating, it's only gonna make me more hungry._

I hope Valeria is doing fine but like any hero, villain, human or Pokemon, you must first learn to take care of yourself before you take care of anyone else. Even then, the dewott was right, no matter how familiar I was with the slums; the city's streets is larger than a person's memory. However, a thing that this city is able to make any Pokemon remember is the fashion stores on the streets. In particular, a fashion store that sells a set of clothing named "starters."

"I don't understand," I whispered, I had a pidggy pinned underneath me. Speaking with my mouth full, blood dripped down my chin and I became red. The pedestrians gasped in shock as they strayed away, they sort of formed a small personal island for me.

I stopped eating the bird and sat infront the store. The store was small, but size doesn't deter the wealthy. It had a large display with white plastic models of humans treated and dressed better than I'll ever be. The maniacs posed and dressed with diversity; one with a lush crimson, yellow and white fur coat that stretches from the shoulder to the knees, one with a handsome blue amphibian leathery jeans and the last wore a combination of luxurious green modernised clothing with ruff cream coloured shells lined across the rims and edges of the clothing. The clothes reflect the regional starters, respectively. Made in Kalos, 100% fur/skin/leather.

"Mom?" I whimpered. I felt my ears lose their stability but I still had control over what little memories I have. People entered and exited the store, mostly women with blood red lipsticks; while I sat in…I don't know. I have seemed to lost the words to describe the fur coat. It seemed so luscious, warm and nurturing, but I'm not referring it in a "consumer point of view."

A customer leaving the store opened it with a sparing push that allowed me to sneak in. Internally, the store was a hot pink with golden outlines of the ceiling edges. The pink was a deep solid that no amount of light could cast a reflection or a shadow on it. I stood underneath the coat whispering, "mother." However, I shed no tears for there is nothing to cry about, I simply wanted somewhere warm, somewhere safe.

I laid down with my body contacting the coat, staining it with whatever was on my own fur "shirt."

"I just need a rest mum," I signed, I enjoyed the deep breath, "I won't be here long, I won't bother you too much."

"All I need a break, solace, even if it's just a—"

Then, something in my mind clicked, a sudden burst. However, tragedy isn't involved here. Perhaps, I felt the same "click" as Senja.

"Ach!" I jumped, "what the hell!"

"What kind of a monster would…would," I stared at the fur coat, then the rest of the clothing, "they're harvesting us!"

"What the actual," I gagged, circling back and forth, my ears shot up in an unpleasant way. The shop owner appeared abruptly before gasping, "what is this monster doing in here!"

"You're skinning us! Those jeans are from a greninja," I barked aggressively, ducking into a corner.

"Ahh!" The shop owner screamed before letting out a clear command, "security!"

 _Apparently, humans don't like being barked at._

I dashed out the corner and right through her legs. The customers in the shop gasped while I panicked. The store suddenly seemed so small, as if everything closed in around me. I dashed through the aisles of clothing, warm conditioned air brushed past my body while the hanged clothing were like small bushes. It felt like summer; dashing through bushes trying to chase my sister and not having to care about anything. It was just us, dad, Valeria and I; that was true solace. "I'm coming sis!"

"Where is the exit!" I barked, some clothing latched themselves onto my fur, "they're going to skin me!"

A tall man began chasing me, a sly looking man much like my dad. He swung his arms around me but all he grabbed onto was the clothes on the ground. As I thought I escaped a deadly grasp, he quickly adjusted his aim and swooped me off the floor.

 _I've caught you again son!_ No, I mean, "Gotcha! Cheeky fox."

My heart palpitated and perhaps paused for a second, but it wasn't caused by all the adrenaline or the heated canine instincts hard wired into my head. I stared at the man in the eyes and I felt warm, loved. His eyes are unforgettable, brave and loving. I was in the arms of another fox; he had all black fur and a ridiculously long red and black mane. I could make fun of his red silhouette fur line around mouth.

"Nice lip sticks dad,"

"That's not nice, Fang,"

But of course, he wasn't my dad, he was just some dude. I was just a fennekin in some clothes butcher shop.

"Let me go!" I screamed, I then leaned forward and bit him on the hand. My fangs sunk into his flesh, and a relieving sensation of blood overwhelmed my mouth.

"Fuck!"

I was then tossed onto the ground, which I then scrambled for the exit. A lucky customer opened the door to be greeted by a screaming man bleeding from his hand, panicking customers and a bolting fennekin running for his life.

* * *

"You hungry?"

"Yeh-h,"

"Cold?"

"Yeh-h-Yeh,"

I hated nights. Well, in the city at least. There are so many lights that it may as well me day. All the stars have disappeared and the sky lingers a dark blue rather than black. The lady in the black suit returned, except this time we didn't meet in a dream. We meet at a park (of some sorts), the trees looked dead, the bushes were plucked empty and a gravel path which leads to nowhere. However, it's the only place were the glimpses of night are allowed to exist. I laid on my bed; what the lady in black would call a "public wooden seat." In an attempt to make myself look more presentable, I began licking off the blood around my cheeks from biting the man earlier today. She appears without invitations.

"Here," she said, taking off her blazer before overlapping it on me. Her inner garments consisted a long sleeved white shirt and a black tie. She had a reasonable body but her breasts were flatter than 2D itself; then again her scary mask was able to deter any thought.

"You're-you're not cold?" I asked, ducking further into the blazer.

"No,"

 _Like talking to a brick wall._ The common sound was our frosty breaths and the occasional car driving by; unfortunately, no air conditioner sounds.

"Are-are you rich?" I asked, checking the blazer.

"I have no need for money,"

"Do you-you wear Pokemon s-skin?"

"Why'd you say that?"

"Well you are a human, humans tend to buy them. And t-today I saw a-a shop selling 3 different specie's skins,"

"And how did that make you feel?"

"Scared. No I mean, disgusted. Why-why do they do this to us?"

"I can't really answer that; perhaps as a form of betrayal. We offer humanity our gifts and they just keep on taking," she answered, avoiding eye contact.

"I-I think your wrong," I responded, "it's not betrayal, it's greed."

Her eye suddenly locked onto me as if I just committed a sin. A smile then creeped up her mouth (the only visible skin on her body), "you're smart."

She kept on staring me down, I avoided eye contact. However, I could feel her stares as if they were hands shifting through my head. They were strong, stronger than the gushes of wind. It was a war she was winning and I surrender by whispering out a faint, "you're scaring me."

"If you're worried that I'm going to skin you. Trust me; you would already be a scarf,"

"No, I'm scared of your stares,"

Again, without an invitation, she picked me up along with her blazer and placed me in her lap. "What-what are you—"I gasped. Her body was warm, radiating with excess heat. She was like a fire, or perhaps a furnace. It made me relax, "solace, warmth", it was great.

"It's only when your worst fears come true, ie me, that you get find out how strong you really are," she said, "still scared of me?"

"No, you're so warm," I replied. I began to yawn; perhaps I'll finally get a good night's sleep. It's an opportunity I'm not willing to give up.

Yet, she left uninvited as well. She left me there to freeze, she left me there to die. Of course, she wouldn't stay the entire night, nor would the blazer. Thankfully, mother nature was still on my side and summoned me with a strong gust of wind; enough to make the trees dance. The frost sunk its fangs into my skin mercilessly, ripping me into shreds and tearing out whatever heat I still had.

"She could have at least left her coat," I shuttered. My nose became numb while my breaths became clouds. The park now thrived with the sounds of leaves flying. They were like mandibuzz's, surrounding their dying prey to later feast on their corpse.

 _Warmth, warmth, warmth._ It isn't going to find me, I'll have to find it.

 _Cough!_ Not a single spark of fire; just some saliva. I felt betrayed, it seems like everyone or the world had screwed me over. A sudden jolt of anger was unleashed, I hated everyone; the dewott, the lady and my parents... My friend, the lady in black, ditched me. Mother nature is here to claim her soul. It may as well just end, without screams or a fight. I waited in cold, in silence.

But of course, I didn't want to die. I'm in a dam city, there's bound to be warmth somewhere. The night clubs danced away while roaming street musicians tried to please the drunk with their tunes. There was faint violin "hum" nearby; it was displaying the most torturous sounds known to man.

I self-consciously dragged my failing body towards the sound, looking for any help or warmth that could just fuel me for another night. As I exited the park, blinding lights pieced my eyes but it was a battle that I'm not willing to lose. The branch like streets were "mostly" empty. Instead of the uneasy traffic, the night now lingers thumping loud music. The streets now smell of lust and alcohol. Drunk women encouraged men to follow their behaviour while certain trainers begin to "enhance" their intimate relationship with their Pokemon. A group of men nearby were busy spewing out alcohol against wall, for which one of them had a wearily look on his dragonair.

Without any thought, their friends began chanting "Kiss, kiss, kiss." It wasn't long before the chanting subsided into a sudden cheers. I don't believe I have to fill you in on precious details, but it'd say it was a tragedy for the dragonair.

Avoiding all the "unwanted attention", I followed the only guidance I had; the faint violin sound. Soon I arrived at the Prism tower, the lights beamed down on me giving me a glimpse of artificial heaven.

 _It was the greatest waste of electricity on earth. A pathetic accomplishment for humanity_.

However, I couldn't be too cocky either, "what have I accomplished, what have Pokemon accomplished." The answer; "I've accomplished finding the shitty violinist. The accomplished violinist was the dewott."

He was busy pulling and playing the strings, although he mostly looked half asleep. This sagging face shows defeat while his drooping eyelids begged for rest. He wore a pathetic black bowtie to gain some attention from the sobers. _How absurd._ You could see his expression from a mile away if his beret didn't block much of the view. Despite his appearance, I was at his mercy. Without hesitation I ran up to him and said, "I need help, please. I'm freezing to death."

It took him a while to react. He stopped "scraping" the violin and looked down at me. He didn't recognise me; I couldn't blame him for that.

"I think you have the wrong dewott, I don't know any walking skeletons," he said.

"No-no. It's me, Fang. The fennekin you carried to hospital,"

He then paused before his eyes widened as if he just had a shot of coffee and his mouth opened a little.

"Wow," he gasped, "did you join a weight loss program?"

"I don't have time for this-this," I shuttered, "I'm cold—"

"You're a fire type," he interrupted, "just cough out some embers or urinate out some napalm."

"I can't," I pleaded, "I'm too hungry, I can't even use my fire type moves anymore—"

A sudden yelp ran through the sky, it made the dewott jump but it didn't make him drop the violin. He then fretted, glancing around to spot the danger. Then sudden jolts of groans and moans bounced around the street. The dewott's face shot red, I then turned by head to join him at whatever he was observing.

"Don't look over there," he snapped, pinching my chin to aim my eyes at his, "you ain't writing a fetish-fic here. We are having a conversation. Carry on."

Guilty pleasure, the dragonair's relationship got too intimate.

"Please get me out of here," I muttered.

The dewott then let out a faint yawn before packing up the violin. In a way, the yawn was a disguised sigh, he didn't seem to enthusiastic helping me again. He wasn't obligated too yet he still did it anyway. The dewott then picked me up and lifted me toward him. As I got closer, the impurities revealed themselves. The blue streaks of fur were littered with white and some wrinkles seeped their patterns into the fur. It suddenly changed my perception of him; he is acting like an old father with a failure of a son, for which he helps him no matter how far they strayed apart. _But he wasn't a father nor am I his son._ He then wore me like a scarf; front paws touching one-shoulder and hind legs touching the other. Like the lady in black, he was warm and cosy. Although his fur was not the typical deep blue, sort or young. It was something to cherish.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: A bizarre purpose**

My father was destroyed; the worst form of defeated. To have his mate and lover ripped away from him was like torture. However, no excuses could mend him. Torture is honourable and requires effort from the victim while being abandoned is the equivalent of throwing out trash. Trash; something you don't need in your life. Needless to say; my mother didn't want my father in her life anymore. Speaking from the heart, he stopped living and simply existed. He had nothing, no purpose in this world. Unlike other Pokemon or person; he didn't let his anger or grief consume him. Although he can't feel or find love anymore; he was still obligated to be my father. That was his only purpose; that gave him meaning. However, this raised a few questions for me, "what's my purpose?" It may sound cliché but the adult world with all its bizarre rules is enough to perplex any child.

"You alright dad?" I asked,

"I'm fine,"

Unfortunately, he's not fine. Everything is fine to adults, regardless of the condition. It puzzles me why parents would lie; sharing one's problems is a great way to find answers. Then again, adults re-invented lying by adding a promising future. Such as, "you'll get there", "I promise" or "you're special". When you lie, it becomes a sin for which a trip to hell is a worthy punishment. Parents make it a great deal to get you to apologies for your wrong doings but when parents commit crimes against each other; it usually ends in war. They won't stop fighting until someone surrenders; not apologies.

A war started between my parents and neither side won. It ended with both sides having their hearts broken. Although my mother, a delphox with a burning personality, recovered quickly. Father continued to linger in the darkness.

"I'll find love again, I don't need her," he said. Any moral fuel is good enough for him.

* * *

"Umm. Dewott," I whispered, over his shoulder, "what's your name?"

"I understand you're trying to make small talk," he replied, the vapour of his breath brushed through my face, "just rest, get some sleep before the sun rises."

Then there was silence, I sort of took his advice involuntarily. By now, the streets were [oddly] deserted, occasionally a taxi would flash by. The sounds of cheering and bizarre music went sleep while the street lights remained wide awake. The Prism Tower lingered in the background, while street side stores still gladly displayed their goods and services. The cobble stone sidewalk, dark pavement road absorbed the light but it didn't take much effort to see where you're steeping. For a while, it felt like everything belonged to us, was no one else could contest. Peace and quite, the only sounds were the gentle footsteps of the dewott followed by an echo.

Despite getting what I wanted; warmth, peace and safety, I still remained in this "awake realm". The longer I was awake around the dewott's shoulders, the more awkward it felt.

"What's your name?" I began.

"I don't like names," he sighed, prompting me to close my eyes, "it complicates things. Too much details."

"Well, how old are you?" I asked, keen to seek answers.

"Older than what you think," he then took a deep breath allowing silence to return.

"Why do you bother helping me?"

"I don't know, perhaps it's just who I am. I've gained enough debt on my paws already,"

"Debt?"

The dewott paused. It only occurred to me now that he was missing one of his scalchops, the other one hanging on his fur was severely cracked and blunt. He then peered over his shoulder and gave me a good stare. His eyes lost the signs of absurdity and now displayed signs of maturity.

"Is there something bothering you?" He asked.

It was fair for him to ask questions, but it felt so bizarre. It didn't seem like a question, it felt more like a reminder. A reminder that peace is only temporary. He seems to know what was going through my head before I had the words to express it.

"Can I show you something?" I said, pointing my nose to a nearby store.

As we approached the cold store, manikins began to appear. The store itself was as fancy as the clothing it sells; the walls were frost white with gold painted around the edges. It also had a thick blue carpet. By night, manikins were the only customers. However, the manikin that stood out the most was the one labelled "Unova classic". It displayed a blue female styled fur coat, for which it had the most elegant and detailed stitching patterns of the sea around the edges. The neck was cushioned by dark emboar leather while the boots and gloves resembled the royal patterns of a serperior.

Like an art gallery, we paused outside and inspected it top to bottom. The dewott's eyes latched onto the gloves and boots rather than the "samurott" coat. His eyes dropped a little and a frown appeared, but as his eyes closed a giant smirk rippled across his face.

"Doesn't this disturb you?" I said, as my ears crested down.

"Na," he replied.

My ears shot up.

"What?!" I muttered, "the humans are skinning us to decorate themselves."

"That's because it's our intended purpose," he replied, "we're the providers and we're the muscle that that helps every trainer win in a cock fight. Pokémon are a disposable asset, some humans may find themselves emotionally attached to their Pokémon but I believe those relationships are pure propaganda bullshit."

"But that can't be it!" I yelled, with a powerful kick I leaped off the Dewott's shoulder and onto the chilling footpath. My body jolted in shock as the ice cold feeling of the sidewalk crawled its way up my body, "what other purpose do we have other than to battle each other, get skinned or become slaves?"

"Being slaved, getting skinned, battling, staying alive, finding a mate, having some eggs," the dewott smiled, "yeah, these purposes in life are practically the same. I see your point here."

"Stop it," I yelled, stomping the sidewalk with a jumping motion, "you don't understand-"

"It appears you have a visitor," the dewott interrupted. He tilted his head towards the general direction of interest, while the warm mist that he's breathing out was blow in a different direction.

Perched uncomfortably next on top of metal rubbish bin against other store was a soulless night blue outline of a canine. She looked like neon lights at night, perfectly disguised with the urban background. The scratching sound of her paws on the bin was enough to deter any person.

"You son of a bitch!" Senja yelled, as she pounced at me. Her needle like claws sank into my skin as we tumbled across the ground. Her mouth widened, exposing the her razor sharp teeth before trying to chomp out a piece of me. Fortunately I wasn't plump and she ended up having a mouth full of fur.

"Quit it!" The dewott said, picking Senja up by the nape. She fretted and squirmed as she tried to scratch the dewott; for which he quickly switched his grip from the nape to the tail.

"You, fennekin," he added, "explain."

"Her name is Senja. Met her in the hospital, she escaped.."

"Stereotypical, metaphorical or actual insane?"

"I don't know," I muttered, "all of the above? She hates me because I'm not her friend…or something."

"You seem to make more enemies then friends," he grunted, before eying out the upside down umbreon."

"Senja, would you like a friend," he asked. There was a sudden pause, it could almost be described as waiting for a computer to process information. The umbreon's eyes lit up with excitement, and all the anguish just seemed to vanish. Her face brightened with a smile, like a child being drowned in candy.

"Yes! Yes!" Senja gasped.

"Do you have a place to stay?" The dewott asked.

The happiness suddenly disappeared as she mumbled a soft "no".

"Welp," The dewott yawned, before staring at me, "it's about time we… get out of the cold."

He placed particular emphasis on we.

"How would you like to stay with us tonight?" The dewott smiled, placing down Senja. Good thing she didn't leap on me again. The again, I'm ain't staying with Senja, she'll kill me in my sleep.

"You okay with that, Fang?" The dewott asked, his smile was crooked as if he was the one going to kill me now.

I let out an ignorant sigh, "fine". After all, I don't want to stay out in the street any longer.

"Good," he said, "I'm glad that's sorted."

He leaned down and picked up his violin case before waving his hand prompting us to follow. Yet again, he decided to help some random Pokemon who he doesn't know.


End file.
